Part 2
Zhao Yiyi was surprised. “Why did you come? Didn’t you say you were going to the Northern Market to play with the eldest daughter of the He family?”
Zhao Duanduan hugged her arm and acted coquettishly, pouting as she spoke. “I did go to the Northern Market, and I stopped by home on the way. The time was still early, and I remembered Older Sister was coming to Beimang to play today, so I hurried over. I was worried about how to find you since Beimang is so big, but I happened to see Second Sister Qin and the others riding horses at the foot of the mountain, so I asked her to bring us up. Ah-Chen and Cousin Lu also followed.”
She pointed to the side and raised her chin.
Seeing that her forehead was seeping with fine sweat from running, Zhao Yiyi took a handkerchief and wiped it gently, then frowned, looking rather helpless. “In this kind of weather, why are you running around? And bringing Miss He along too—if there was any mishap, how would you explain it to the Duke of Yongjia?”
Being lectured by her, Zhao Duanduan buried her head, then said, “But we didn’t come alone; Cousin Lu agreed to escort us.”
She was glared at by Zhao Yiyi again.
Just then, Lu Xianshan and the others approached. Zhao Yiyi dispensed with the formalities for everyone before looking at him apologetically. “Duanduan is insensible; she has caused trouble for you.”
Lu Xianshan smiled. “It’s no bother. I’ve only been busy attending banquets lately. It just so happens I haven’t been out for a walk in too long and felt stifled. Today serves as a distraction.”
Zhao Yiyi knew what he was attending banquets for.
Taking advantage of the moment when no one was paying attention, she poked Zhao Duanduan’s forehead again and whispered, “The Spring Examination is imminent; you certainly have some nerve.”
Zhao Duanduan only just realized this; her small face turned red, and she hid behind her.
Lu Xianshan’s expression paused, but he didn’t speak.
“There are people racing horses at the foot of the mountain over there. If you like, go over and play for a while.” Zhao Yiyi pointed in the direction they came from, speaking softly.
Zhao Duanduan loved these things. Her eyes lit up with excitement, but she didn’t dare to act rashly. Only after receiving permission did she walk ahead and rush down.
Everyone retreated one by one. Zhao Yiyi’s gaze lingered on He Xunfang for a moment.
During this period, the Empress Dowager often took this niece into the palace, calling her to the Qinglu Hall every few days.
Fortunately, the two girls were of similar age and had no prior grudges. After spending some time together, they got along reasonably well.
So Zhao Yiyi turned a blind eye, too lazy to manage the matter.
The sky gradually darkened, and the cold wind blew in gusts.
It was time to return home.
Mancao approached to arrange her clothes and draped an incredibly thick cloak over her.
The rim was made of snowy white, soft fox fur.
The cloak was crimson, but the ties were emerald green.
“Let’s go.” After dressing, she sat for a little while longer before wrapping herself in a felt hat and getting up, walking toward the bottom of the mountain.
Everyone went down the mountain one after another. A line of people and horses walked down from the mountainside covered in a thick layer of white snow; the scene was magnificent.
But upon seeing the luxurious and solemn ceremonial guard at the foot of the mountain, they all froze in place.
Zhao Yiyi’s footsteps also paused.
Qin Yanyin gave her a gentle push from the side. She hurriedly whispered teasingly, “Oh, who is this coming to pick up Your Highness?”
In the ceremonial procession, the man in the lead was dressed in crimson. The rich color washed away some of the coldness on his face.
That person seemed to have a thirty-percent smile on his face, but when he glanced behind Zhao Yiyi, his eyes suddenly turned cold.
Yet he said nothing, remaining a picture of gentleness.
He walked slowly toward the slope. Zhao Yiyi’s lips moved, but her legs seemed nailed to the spot.
She just watched him motionless.
It wasn’t until he held her hand, the warm and rough sensation transmitting up, that she asked in a low voice, “Why has Your Majesty come?”
Gu Zhen smiled. His gaze seemed to inadvertently sweep across the distance. He lowered his head slightly so he could lean down to her. “Zhen came to take you home.”
Actually, between the two of them, there had never been a real home.
Even after getting married, they had always lived separately. Being together two or three times a month was considered fulfilling their duty.
Zhao Yiyi looked up at him slightly, a bit dazed.
Everyone’s gazes were cast over, quietly sizing them up with varying expressions.
Zhao Yiyi struggled backward, but he held her even tighter.
The way the two were acting, it seemed they were at a standoff. Seeing the stalemate, Qin Yanyin felt startled and was getting anxious, when she heard the Emperor say, “It’s getting late. Be good, come back with Zhen, alright?”
“In the past, it was all Zhen’s fault. Go back with Zhen first, and then I’ll let you settle the score slowly, hmm?”
His voice wasn’t loud, but quite a few people around heard it.
For a moment, the expressions on their faces were colorful and varied. There were all kinds of thoughts, but no one expected the Emperor to have this attitude.
Qin Yanyin didn’t make a sound.
Like this—if one said the Emperor had no sincerity, who would believe it?
She moved half a step to the side, trying not to be an eyesore to the Emperor, because she always felt the Emperor’s gaze toward her seemed rather unfriendly.
She didn’t know if he disliked her taking the Empress out.
It was cold outside, so Zhao Yiyi eventually got into the carriage. It wasn’t until the Emperor’s final glance before boarding that Qin Yanyin realized that dislike… didn’t seem to be directed at her.
There were quite a few people in that direction, so it was really hard to say.
“Everything was fine; why did you come over?” As soon as she got into the carriage, Zhao Yiyi leaned against the carriage wall, complaining somewhat unhappily. “Didn’t you say earlier that you wouldn’t come to pick me up?”
It would have been fine if she hadn’t mentioned it, but once she did, Gu Zhen’s face looked poor. He gritted his teeth and said, “Why is he here?”
Seeing that man coming down the mountain with her, the fire of jealousy in his heart ignited.
It almost burned him to ashes.
Zhao Yiyi also darkened her face, her voice turning a few degrees colder. “Cousin Lu was escorting Duanduan and Miss He over. The children did it on a whim; what is the problem?”
Blocked by her words, Gu Zhen held back his anger and said, “You didn’t allow Zhen to come, but what about him? He can come?”
Zhao Yiyi didn’t want to pay attention to him, so her expression became even colder. Leaning against the carriage wall, she looked at him with a face like frost. “Him coming is his business. Why do you manage things so broadly?”
Gu Zhen suddenly fell silent.
It was originally an irrelevant matter, so Zhao Yiyi couldn’t be bothered with him. she turned her head directly, opening the carriage window a crack to look at the scenery outside.
It was bare and somewhat uninteresting.
With waning interest, she waved her hand and turned back to look at Gu Zhen, only to see that the bottoms of his eyes were red, and he was sitting there gazing at her.
Zhao Yiyi felt rather uncomfortable. Just as she was about to turn her head to look out again, she heard him call, “Yiyi.”
“Hmm?” She answered indifferently, seemingly weary and lazy.
Gu Zhen said with red eyes, “Zhen was just thinking you could coax me. But you refuse to say even a word of comfort.”
Zhao Yiyi frowned. “It was an irrelevant matter to begin with. Moreover, even if there was something, there’s no need for Your Majesty to speak of it.”
Gu Zhen’s eye sockets reddened, his breathing quickened slightly, and he whispered, “You just need to explain two sentences to Zhen, and it will be fine.”
From Beimang all the way back to the city, they changed carriages and went all the way to Tongtuo Lane. They watched the warm scene of cooking smoke rising from ordinary homes as the setting sun went down.
But they didn’t leave; they went to a nearby separate courtyard.
In the end, Zhao Yiyi didn’t grant his wish; she neither explained nor coaxed him.
However, when she was pressed against the table, finding it somewhat unbearable, she looked at his appearance, half-draped in his sleeping robe, and her expression suddenly froze.
Why was he still half-wearing his clothes at a time like this?
It seemed to have been like this recently.
He didn’t have this habit before, did he?
She unconsciously reached out her hand, but Gu Zhen was extremely alert. As soon as she touched the edge of the sleeping robe, her hand was seized by him, followed by a hoarse voice: “Don’t move.”
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